Cannata Research Group partners with Seton Hall on first study, which examines security issues stemming from at-home printer usage
Donovan Dixon, president of Cannata Research Group. - Cannata Research Group
Businesses have been studying the impact of remote work since the pandemic moved many to work-from-home situations. One organization is looking to formalize the research.
The Hamburg-based Cannata Group formally launched the Cannata Research Group on Wednesday in an effort to meet the need for end-user research in the business technology and managed service industries.
The inaugural CRG report explores the significant impact of COVID-19 on the multifunction printer market, which has changed dramatically during the pandemic, with increasing numbers of employees working from home.
The research, developed in conjunction with the Seton Hall Market Research Center at the Stillman School of Business, already is producing some interesting results.
CRG found that 79% of respondents working from home are now using equipment other than MFPs and, as a result, could be compromising security. CRG said companies should evaluate whether there is compatibility and adequate security between printing/imaging equipment used in the home office space (such as smartphones, Dropbox or iCloud) and typical corporate capture, storage and filing applications/technologies.
Upcoming research topics that CRG plans to explore include: a deep dive into the Security Concerns of Remote Work; a 2020 End-User Study Report, available May 2021; and Vendor Profiles; among others. Insights will be available to annual subscribers, as well as on a per-report basis.
CRG President Donovan Dixon said the research is needed.
“The Cannata Research Group was developed to meet the growing needs of our dealer and reseller partners seeking end-user research that will ultimately improve their businesses,” he said.
“In recent years, most traditional research firms have cut staff and resources dedicated to in-depth research into the imaging and printing space. We created the Cannata Research Group to fill that gap by delivering unbiased market research, end user studies, due diligence reports and analysis, as well as timely insights to the imaging, printing and adjacent marketplaces.”
Adam Warner, director of the Market Research Center at Seton Hall, said the school embraces the partnership.
“The Market Research Center at Seton Hall University was thrilled to assist the Cannata Research Group with its first study, which explored the impact of COVID-19 on the printing and imaging industry,” he said. “In our research, several interesting insights around rising security concerns, equipment needs and document digitization rose to the top that will help Cannata Research Group inform and guide the industry both during the pandemic and post-pandemic era.”
Cannata Group founder Frank Cannata said the organization has been looking for such an opportunity throughout its 42 years.
“It has been a longtime dream of the Cannata Group to leverage our expertise and knowledge and develop a research arm,” he said. “Our team is so fortunate to have industry expert Donovan Dixon on board to lead this exciting new effort.”